The foreign ministers of Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia met on Friday in the Latvian capital Riga to discuss increasing NATO forces in the region in connection with changes in the security situation after Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
The Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics, speaking at a press conference following the meeting, said that Poland and the Baltic states “have a vested interest in NATO making a very important decision to strengthen the defence of the Baltic states and Poland.”
Poland’s FM Zbigniew Rau noted that “Russian aggression and Belarusian complicity mean that NATO must adapt its deterrence and defence measures… Some first steps have been taken but new long-term solutions should be agreed at the NATO summit in Madrid in June.”
? It is critical that Ukraine receives as much support as possible, including military assistance. Poland is doing its share and so are Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. However, in this unequal fight Ukraine needs more help.
| FM @RauZbigniew after the meeting in Riga ?? pic.twitter.com/Zl3qK2tCLA
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs ?? (@PolandMFA) April 29, 2022
“It is important that NATO’s new strategic concept takes into account this new security environment,” the Estonian Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets added.
Today I met FMs ?? @edgarsrinkevics, ?? @GLandsbergis & ?? @RauZbigniew to discuss upcoming Madrid Summit, strengthening @NATO‘s #EasternFlank & additional ways to increase our common security.
We continue all efforts to support #Ukraine ?? with what they need the most. pic.twitter.com/fFrKfR7Pkj
— Eva-Maria Liimets (@eliimets) April 29, 2022
Gabrielius Landsbergis, the Lithuanian foreign minister, assessed that due to the change in the security situation after Russia attacked Ukraine, NATO should deploy additional forces and equipment.
.@edgarsrinkevics at the meeting of ???????? FMs in #Riga: “We want to achieve permanent presence of #NATO troops in the #BalticStates and #Poland, which would enable us to resist any threat from Russia and Belarus and protect every inch of our territory.”https://t.co/DxIcxz8FIx pic.twitter.com/w1PaueGUvL
— Latvian MFA ?? | #StandWithUkraine ?? (@Latvian_MFA) April 29, 2022